


Tire Trap

by AngelsInTheSand



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Smoking, minor body shaming, self body shaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23602360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelsInTheSand/pseuds/AngelsInTheSand
Summary: One of the tires burst on the highway.Dennis and The Honest have a talk while Memphis does all the legwork.
Relationships: Friendship - Relationship, Parent/Child - Relationship, guardian/child





	Tire Trap

“I told you we shoulda’ bought another tire in the last town,” The Honest chuckled, perched on the hood of the car. Memphis sat in the dust, checking the front passenger tire over to see if it was salvageable in this slightest. Not particularly.

Dennis leaned out the passenger window, staring at the popped tire, and then to the strip of nails that were eaten up under the wheel well.

“I thought you said all cars come with a replacement,” Dennis reached out to touch one of the nails, flinching when Memphis swatted her hand away.

“It’s already on the car, kid,” The Honest reminded her. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and freed a carton of cigarettes. He climbed off of the hood, shaking the carton back and forth as he himself checked the tire. He pulled the nail strip partly out from the wheel well, looking it over with pursed lips. “That’s a marauder tire trap. You better be glad we stayed in that last town for another night. If we came through here last night, they’d still be here,” he smirked, as if that alternative reality was something short of petrifying.

“Don’t remind me,” Memphis busied himself pulling the trap the rest of the way out. It seemed that there were more punctures than he cared to count, but it wasn’t a total loss. There was a tire repair kit and a manual pump in the trunk. It could get them to the next town, where they could replace the tire and pick up a new replacement. “Dennis, get the kit and the pump out of the trunk,”.

Dennis leapt out the window, landing in the dust on her feet, and happily taking the keys from her guardian. She unlatched the trunk and quickly found the pump among their supplies. Tucking it under her arm, she grabbed the repair kit and brought it back to Memphis.

Memphis got to work patching up the tire, and Dennis found no tasks for her at the moment. She kicked a rock along briefly, looking around the wasteland until her eyes fell on The Honest, calmly smoking against a faded speed limit sign, only a few yards away. As she trudged towards him, the sudden stale musk of cigarette smoke hit her like a slap to the face, and she stopped short, standing several feet away from him.

“Why do you smoke that stuff,” Dennis questioned him. The Honest puffed out a fat cloud of grey smoke, like a car’s exhaust.

“Keeps me skinny,” he replied, chuckling as he clamped the white stick between his lips.

“I don’t smoke and I’m skinny, I guess,” Dennis retorted. It’s true, she was 14 and high energy. Memphis fed her at every turn, but sometimes teenagers just melt calories sitting around. It didn’t help that she paced and ran and followed every novelty thing like a lost puppy.

“Oh, to be your age again. When the weight just melted away,” The Honest laughs. Dennis is so innocent, much more innocent than he was at her age. In another year, she would be 15, the same age he was when his mother was ripped away from him. He hopes she’ll still have that childish glee in her eyes by then. It’s heartwarming, truly, it is.

“How old even are you,” Dennis tilts her head.

“It’s not nice to ask your elders their age,” The Honest replies. He tries to act annoyed, but his smile betrays him. “26. A lot younger than that old jackass,” he motions to Memphis and smiles. He can’t lie, the man changing the tire has a real soft spot in his heart. Dennis turns her head and watches Memphis for a moment before turning back to The Honest.

“He’s not that old. My grandfather said he was young,” She sat down on the ground, still a good distance separated from The Honest.

“All grand-whatever’s think anything that can stand upright is young,” He raised a finger, pointing to the sign above him on the pole he leans against. “I assure you this thing has been here longer than Memphis, and some old asshole would look at it like it’s brand new,”.

Dennis’ knitted her brows together, glaring The Honest down.

“Don’t talk about my grandfather like that,” her voiced trailed off. She took to quietly drawing shapes in the dirt, her brows still knit together, upset.

The Honest sighed. He knew he could be a real asshole. He liked pushing buttons. Bartenders, motel managers, Memphis, you name it. He just liked to poke fun. But he suddenly found he didn’t like doing the same to Dennis. He exhaled a final cloud of smoke and flicked the cigarette butt away before scooting over to Dennis, resting a hand on her back.

“Look, kid. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m not saying your grandfather made a bad decision. In fact, I’d say it’s his best decision, sending you out with Memphis. Besides, even if he chose to send you off with some other bozo, he still raised a great kid,” The Honest smiled, and Dennis still stared at the ground. It only took a few seconds, and Dennis couldn’t pretend anymore, her eyes lighting up and a smiling spreading across her face.

The Honest suddenly pulled her close, pushing the top of his knuckle into her hair and giving her a playful noogie. She screeched with laughter and pushed him off, her hair standing upright and messy.

“Hey! Someone get over here and pump this thing! I’m not doing everything myself,” Memphis called to them. He held his back as he stood, trying and failing to hide the reason he couldn’t spend the next ten minutes leant over a manual tire pump.

Dennis excitedly ran over, ready to take on a new task. She pumped the tire for several minutes until sweat dripped down her forehead and dark spots built up under her armpits. 

“Alright, kid, give it a break. Lemme take over,” The Honest nudged Dennis aside, taking her spot on the pump.

“Oh, royalty wants to do something for a change,” Memphis smirks, leaning back against the car.

“Oh, please, Memphis, gimme a break. You of all people should know I know my way around pumping something,” he grins, tongue between his teeth, and Memphis’ face lights up in red.

After a few minutes of pumping, and the removal of his jacket in the heat, The Honest has the tire completely re-inflated. The three fall into the car after replacing the kit and pump back in the trunk, and the a/c is a welcome guest.

“What did you guys talk about over there,” Memphis questioned as they started off back down the road, leaving the speed limit sign in the dust.

“The Honest said you were old and a jackass,” Dennis blurted, grinning like an annoying little sibling.

“That’s really all you took from out conversation,” The Honest sneered, rolling his eyes as a smirk formed across his face.

The kid was innocent, but not stupid.


End file.
